“A well capitalized corporate America, flush with cash, and a potential shift, regardless of party, in the tax rate higher in 2013 augur a wave of special dividend announcements, in our view,” said analysts at Goldman Sachs in a report.

Goldman noted that gross cash among non-financial firms has risen 55% since the end of 2007 and total cash to enterprise value has increased to 9% from 6% during the same period.

The scheduled expiration of tax cuts at the end of the year, part of the so-called fiscal cliff, means that dividends are likely to be taxed as ordinary income in 2013 at a rate of up to 43.4% versus 15% currently, according to the analysts.

“The 2001/2003 tax cuts were originally set to expire at the end of 2010, though, after months of political negotiations, the rates were extended in the final weeks of that year. Indeed, 2010 saw the highest number of one-time dividend announcements, more than double the run-rate of 2000-2011 period,” they said.

In the last 12 years, 75% of companies that declared a special dividend outperformed the S&P 500in the two days following. “The average outperformance over the two days and the 3 months following the announcement was 330 basis points and 380 basis points, respectively,” said the analysts.

They also noted that historically, announcements for special dividends tend to be concentrated in the fourth quarter.

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